I’d heard a lot about bliss balls – healthy alternatives for snacks – and decided to do a search for an easy recipe with not to many ‘out there’ ingredients. I ended up trying a few then altering it to suit what we had in the pantry. Our boys call these ‘choc balls’.

I always make sure I have a batch in the freezer. They’re great for popping in lunch or snack boxes – they don’t freeze hard so can be eaten straight from the freezer. They’re also great if you have a chocolate craving attack! Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dates (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes)
• 1/2 cup of sultanas
• 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut
• 1 tablespoon cacao
• 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds (or just chia seeds if you have them)
• 1 handful of goji berries (if I have them in the pantry)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• Extra desiccated coconut for rolling, optional

Method

1. Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain
2. Process the dates and sultanas for 2 minutes
3. Add the desiccated coconut, cacao, chia seeds and coconut oil. Pulse for another minute. It should all come together. If not, keep pulsing until it does. Leave for 10 minutes
4. You will need to wet your hands so the mixture doesn’t stick. Take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll into a ball. Roll in the extra desiccated coconut
5. Once you’ve made all the balls, place them in the fridge to set
6. These will last a week in the fridge or three months in the freezer

Notes:

• If the mixture is too wet add more desiccated coconut
• If the mixture is too dry add more coconut oil one tablespoon at a time, pulsing together after each tablespoon
• Add any dry fruit to this mixture. I usually add mixed fruit as we have it in the pantry
• If you like a rich chocolate taste, add two tablespoons of cacao
• If a protein boost is needed you can also add protein powder